


Amateur

by Fawkespryde



Category: Rooster Teeth/Achievement Hunter RPF, Sideshow - Fandom
Genre: Garlic gaming, Getting Together, Long Distance Relationships, M/M, Moving In Together, Slow Burn, Tooth Rotting Fluff, as the years go by, just day to day, learning how to adult and shit, like the filler of an anime, real life shenanigans, tomato is really a softy but you didnt hear it from me
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-02-12
Updated: 2020-02-19
Packaged: 2021-02-27 19:27:53
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 7
Words: 10,829
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/22680976
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Fawkespryde/pseuds/Fawkespryde
Summary: Amateur; noun"a person who is incompetent or inept at a particular activity."A term that can be used to describe many of the day to day situations that Criken and Tomato found themselves in.
Relationships: Jared | Tomato Gaming & Keenan Mosimann
Kudos: 10





	1. Plotted admissions and bad bits

**Author's Note:**

> This is a birthday gift that I'll be uploading over the course of the next few days. Been uninspired ass of lately to finish stuff I've started so I'm hoping that putting stuff out again will force me to get back on the grind.
> 
> I have too many documents that are far from completion that I'm almost tempted just to put them all out in one big document to get them out of my head lol

Two years after Sideshow was formed, Criken and Tomato finally came forward tenuously with admissions of their relationships to their audience. It hadn’t been an easy statement to come out with but being anxious and worried that they were sabotaging their own careers came second to knowing they would never be able to show any true affection towards each other until they came clean with their audience. Tomato and Criken had been secretly dating and sneaking off during cons to do cute couple things for the better part of a year but the stress of long distance had gotten to them. They planned on moving in with each other but seeing as how they were both streamers and loud rambunctious ones at that, they wouldn't be able to do so without people catching on. 

So they had an idea, a way to portray their relationship to their audiences without it being too dramatic or too showy. They two of them got together for a special duo stream and planned out the whole thing from start to finish. They discussed what topics to bring up and how to easily transition into a playful bantering session that would lead to a kiss at the end. Criken had been in the middle of swapping headphones with Tomato, who startled at the loud volume of the notifications that came in. He jolted at the sound of the Baron yelling at him and complained loudly about Criken needing new notification sounds. It quickly escalated into playful argument much to the amusement of the chat. 

“Yeah because that’s exactly what I wanted when I came over here.” Tomato growled, practically tossing the headphones to Criken who juggled them back and forth between his hands before finally catching them with a giggle. “I tooootally wanted to go deaf before 25.”

They sat next to each other and Criken pulled the headphones on with a cheesy grin. He bumped knees with Tomato and let his hand wander out of view of the camera. Their hands interlocked under the table and Criken gave it a reassuring squeeze. “Oh don’t be such a baby.” He took the squeeze he received back as a good sign and leaned forward. Ignoring the camera on purpose in case he lost the nerve to go through with their plan, he leaned forward and kissed his boyfriend for all to see. 

Their playfully banter was just as quickly wrapped up with a chaste kiss on the cheek that effectively put the official stamp on the relationship for all to see. Criken remained playfully catty even afterwards and Tomato turned several shades of red as he tried to play off his fluster with a grumble. The stream continued without a hitch after the kiss and the two averted their gazes from chat as they continued to play their co-op game. After several minutes of the chat scrolling faster than the eye could keep up with, it eventually slowed down once the mods took hold of the situation and put it into sub mode. By the end of it, both were impressed that they had managed to keep up their composure during the whole reveal and that their community had been so supportive of them. 

Every comment and reply from friends and family alike. It was surprising and a bit overwhelming the support they received from everyone. Of course there were naysayers and rude individuals that had nothing better to do then yell disgusting terms at them in chat and on twitter but it wasn’t something that they hadn’t been prepared to deal with. They had been expecting a lot worst and were relieved that things hadn’t gone as ugly as they assumed it would.

Tomato had spent a week after the stream reveal with his nerves tight as a violin string. He was on the bring of snapping at any given moment, jumping at off handed comments and digging his heels in whenever he had to deal with his own chat. His anxieties sometimes got the better of him but after several days of timing people out and banning others, he finally cleaned up his stream enough to feel calm enough not to be screaming every two seconds. 

Criken eased his paranoia with soothing words and kisses that helped him forget the assholes in his community that jumped on the hate train after they learned they were together. To answer many of the burning questions that the fans had, they answered a few on their twitter. Criken had to explain that he was bisexual, having dating both men and women during his time in school. He had grown up in thankfully accepting household that supported him regardless of who he dated and that had given him the courage to openly pursue a relationship with Tomato, who had quietly admitted to him that he was gay during one of his visits to LA.

The two of them answered questions, dissuaded rumours and swatted away the annoyances. Within the week, their feeds had finally returned to a state of semi normalcy. Or at least whatever normal was to the two of them.


	2. Chapter 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Forgive any grammatical or spelling mistakes. I've been out of it and haven't really gone over my writing for any errors in awhile. I might need a beta at this rate lol

“Bills… Bills.. Bills…” 

Criken had been filling out paperwork in his office space when one letter in particular caught his attention. The name typed on the top had him up from his chair and running over to his phone. He excitedly pressed Tomato’s name in his contacts as he tore open the envelope, scanning the papers inside as there was a click on the other end. Criken inhaled and began reading the letter word for word without missing a beat. He heard Tomato try to interrupt once or twice before he gave up with a grumble.

Apparently Criken had woken his boyfriend up, judging from the grumbling response he got but he hadn’t even stopped to think about the time, his excitement having gotten the better of him. He was up and pacing the room, talking almost so fast that Tomato couldn’t keep up and he had to repeat himself several times just to drive it home that it was really happening. That the place they had been quietly eyeing for some time was available and they were more than welcome to come and take a look at it. “I can’t believe it. Can you? Seriously, can you believe it?”

“Babe, I just woke up like five minutes ago. Please slow down and start from the beginning.” Tomato laid in bed and stared up at the ceiling, phone held a few inches from his ear because of how loud his boyfriend was being. Criken repeated everything one last time, shuffling out of bed and making the motions of getting dressed. He sat at the end of his bed and listened to his boyfriend talk about every little detail on the paperwork that he had received. From the size of the property to the number of bathrooms. It was stuff he had all heard before but hearing that excitement in Criken’s tone never got old. He could listen to him talk about anything and everything. The way he was passionate about his work and supporting his friends, the light in his eyes that never left even when reality threw him a curveball and demonetized a bunch of his videos. Tomato couldn’t see his face since he had gone back home several weeks ago but he could imagine what he looked like and it brought a smile to his face. It was times like this when he missed him the most.

“Alright, let me start up my pc and we can talk about the whole thing.” Tomato heard the rumble of wheels on hardwood flooring through his phone and recognized it as Criken rolling himself around his office. He shook his head at the ridiculousness of that visual and decided that first of all, he needed a cup of tea. It was going to be a long night, he could already tell. “I can’t believe she got back to us so quickly.”

The two of them talked all day and went over the information sent over by the realtor, turning the conversation to what steps they had to take in order to ensure the house would be theirs. They had already been to see it once and had agreed a bit of work would have to be done to ensure that they had enough space to do their own streaming without interfering with each other. It would take some time to set up everything but the idea of having their own space was an exciting one. It was the next step and only seemed natural to want to move in with each other and turn their long distance relationship into something more. Being in the same state, the same city and in the same house would definitely make things much easier for the two of them in the long run. 

Especially when Criken decided he was feeling a little frisky and would send his boyfriend risque pictures knowing that he was too far away to do anything to stop him. Too many times Tomato wanted to strangle him for sending him a nude selfie during a stream. He spilled tea on himself one time at the image that popped up on his other monitor. “Cheeky bastard.” Dabbing paper towel down the front of him, he ignored the game he was playing in favour of seeking out Criken’s name in his chat. Once he found it, he put him on timeout for 24 hours.

Due to the long distance and financial reasons, whenever that occured Tomato could only get even with him when they met up for a convention. Before they decided on moving in they tried to visit each other as often as their schedules would allow. But stuff like plane tickets were pricey and every visit added up. Travelling got expensive, especially the more frequently they did it so they lined up their get togethers a week or two before any conventions or gatherings they did with their friends so they could nail two birds with one stone. They’d get to see each other and hang out with their friends at the same time. Meaning they would be able to get together with the people that mattered most in their life and they’d get to do cute couple stuff afterwards before having to part once more on their respective flights.

During one such meetup, they finally sat down and talked to Buck and Bed about their plans for the future. To discuss things between just the two of them was one thing but to actually tell someone else and open up their private life was another. Especially Bed and Buck, they were practically family at this point. They had run over the same polite conversation topics over the course of a few hours that finally Tomato just “let it slip” that Criken and him planned on moving in together. Those words clung heavily in the air and Criken took a deep breath, bracing himself just in case. He knew his two friends supported them but a small part of him, a nagging thought whispered that this was the straw that broke the camel's back.

Buck was staring back and forth between the two of them like he couldn’t believe what he was hearing before he got up and made a loud sound of victory. The rest of the people in the restaurant turned to look over at him and he immediately flushed and sat back down with a sheepish wave of his hands. “Sorry... sorry..” He shrank into his seat but couldn’t help the excited bouncing of his knees. Buck raised a leg up to his chest and wrapped his arms around it, leaning forward to whisper in a conspiratorial tone to Criken. “Seriously though. I can’t believe you didn’t tell me sooner!”

Before Criken could stumble out a response, Tomato smoothly took hold of the conversation. He noticed the way his boyfriend had gotten tense at his side and he subtly stroked a hand down his arm. Years of being together had attuned him to Criken’s change in moods, especially his anxious induced worrying. “Well, we were still figuring things out ourselves. We didn’t want to talk about it until we were absolutely certain that we got the place we were looking at.”

“And did you get it?” Bed inquired, speaking up for the first time. He leaned forward in his seat and eyed Buck’s excited bouncing with a look of amusement before turning his attention back to Tomato. He set his drink down and pushed it out of the way so he could lean on the table with one elbow. His expression was the definition of contentment and he looked really interested in the topic, glancing between Criken and Tomato with a soft smile. He seemed overjoyed with his two friends, even more so that they were sharing such intimate knowledge with him and wanted to hear more.

Criken nodded slowly, that nagging voice in the back of his head squished at the caring tone in his friend's voice. “We don’t have the keys per say. But we will be signing the lease next week and then it will be officially ours.” He looked up at Tomato and smiled at the warm gaze he received from his boyfriend. His body was already leaning in further into his side, practically melting under the gentle strokes down his back.

“Wait, how are you two going to move all your stuff in?” Buck asked with a finger raised to his lip. His brow was scrunched up like he was thinking really hard. After a second, his eyes lit up and he let out another cackle of delight. His hand slammed on the table and caused the drinks to shake before settling back down again. “That’s why you haven’t been using face cam!”

“Yeah we’ve been slowly packing our stuff up over the course of a month. It’s been a slow process seeing as how most of our stuff pertains to our jobs.” Tomato leaned in and rested his hand to the side of his mouth to whisper loudly at Buck in an exasperated tone. “For a guy that doesn’t cook, Criken had a lot of crap that had to be boxed up ahead of time.”

Criken gave him an utter look of betrayal and elbowed him. “Hey!” His strike earned him a breathy laugh and a wheeze from his boyfriend. He crossed his arms over his chest but couldn’t remain upset at him even though he wanted to pretend he was. A small smile crept over his face as Tomato curled an arm around his shoulder and pulled him into a side hug. 

“Well, I for one am glad to hear that you decided to bite the bubble and finally move in.” Bed shook his head, still smiling at their antics. He lifted his drink back to his lips and took a sip, his expression shifting to one of contemplation as everyone watched him. All eyes were on him and he revelled in the attention. “If you ever need a hand with anything, you know you can ask me. I’ll always be here, for better or worse.”

“Same.” Buck chirped in happily, he threw an arm over Bed’s shoulder and leaned in close with a wide shit eating grin. “Like it or not, you're stuck with us. No avoiding it now Criken. Now that you got a bigger place, we definitely have to have that sleep over you’ve been teasing your stream about.”

Criken sniggered and nodded at that. “I suppose..” He lifted his drink and Buck clinked their glasses together in a toast.

It was a breath of fresh air to finally share with their close friends the secret that they had been holding close to their chest. Bed and Buck had always been so supportive of them and despite their private nature, they knew they could talk to them about anything and know that they wouldn’t be judged… too harshly. Criken took several notes that Bed shared due to his experiences with his own family moving. Not too many people knew that he had moved across state lines as well so he had input on what they could expect from changing places. It wasn’t too often that Bed got in depth about certain details regarding his family since he was also someone who also liked his privacy. Criken jumped at the chance to pick his brain over ideas for furnishings and colour palettes when he started talking about issues his own home had when he moved into it. Just by talking to the two of them, Tomato and Criken could tell that when they moved in together they would have their unwavering support. It gave them the confidence they needed to finalize the paperwork that would see both their names on a place that they could call their own.


	3. Turning a house into a home

“I’m bringing my dog, I hope you realize that.” Tomato whispered to Criken as he eyed the document before them, his hands hovering over the table. He had gone from reading the papers to staring at his boyfriend in a matter of seconds. The look in his eyes was dead serious, like denying him this little thing was the deal breaker in their relationship. Like Criken would say that he couldn’t bring his dog even after everything they had been through together. “He’s a rescue so he might be a little scittery at first but I’m still bringing him.”

The realtor rose a brow but didn’t say anything. She sat on the other side of the table, hands on the table with fingers interlocked and an awkward smile plastered on her face. Her suit and tie was immaculate in an almost intimidating way. Her entire demeanor was one of impatience, like she had been waiting for Criken to sign the moment she showed up and seeing it get put off for even a second was putting her on edge. She feigned another smile and snuck a peek at her watch that didn’t go unmissed by the two of them.

Criken frowned but ignored her impatience in favour of meeting his boyfriends gaze. He wasn’t going to let her ruin this or rush them into something they don’t want. Tomato’s opinion was more important than anything else. He joined their free hand under the table. Tomato looked startled at the touch but immediately relaxed under his warm gaze. Criken smiled at him and gave his hand a reassuring squeeze. “He chewed through one of my shoes when I came to visit and slobbered all over me while I slept...”

“And you expect me to say no?” He trailed off, taking the pen in his hand once more and twirled it between finger and thumb. His smile turned into a cheeky grin as a thought hit him and he hummed, the sound forming at the back of his throat. “I don’t think so. He’s definitely coming to our new place but you’re building the dog house. Not me.” He looked up at the realtor who was still smiling tightly and nodded to affirm his commitment to the lease before signing his name on the dotted line. He offered the pen to his boyfriend, who after a long stare, let out a little sigh of relief and added his initial right next to Crikens.

Despite his grumblings, Tomato was the happiest of the both of them and he was practically beaming. He almost jumped up from his seat to accept the handshake offered by the realtor when she stood up. She offered the keys to Criken and he intercepted them with a quick motion. Once in his hands, he couldn’t help but marvel at how something so small meant so much. They were just a set of keys leading to the front door and garage but to him, it was much more. It was undeniable confirmation that he now lived here. This was his place, their home. This was a dream come true and he was living it with his boyfriend. The whole thing seemed so surreal that it couldn’t be true. That feeling didn’t really fade even long after the realtor had said her goodbyes and left.

They held hands and wandered through each room, taking in the place in a whole new light. They had done a tour before when it was still up for sale but walking around in a house that they now owned felt much different. Eventually their feet led them back to the kitchen and they just stood there for a long time, speechless but content in the silence. Nothing needed to be said. The two of them had gotten to know each other well over the years and sometimes silence spoke louder than words with them. Criken pulled out his phone and ordered lunch while Tomato found a space in the empty living room for them to lounge across, as he waited for his boyfriend to join him. 

They received their food and sat on the hardwood floor of the living room, making small talk as the giddiness from the adrenaline had worn down and a quiet contentment had set in. Tomato was just finishing up the last of his pork as the moving truck pulled up to the front of their home. Criken was already up and at the door to wave them in as they opened up the back of the truck and lowered the ramp revealing all the boxes packed to the roof inside. Their stuff had arrived and with it came the long, tedious process of getting all their boxes moved in before night time. Both had agreed beforehand that regardless of how the rest of the place looked, they were going to get the bedroom set up first. Neither was willing to sleep on the floor. As the movers brought labelled boxes into different rooms of the house, Criken sat himself cross legged on the floor of Tomato’s room and began to assemble the bed frame before the mattress came in. He just finished putting the last wooden bar in place as two men brought the boxspring down the hall and into the room. 

Criken and Tomato worked tirelessly till the large pieces of furniture were where they needed to be and all the boxes were accounted for. The beds were put together and Tomato had managed to find the labelled box with fitted sheets and blankets inside for one of the beds. The other box with Criken’s pillows and covers was lost in a sea of boxes. Too tired to go looking for them and both just wanting to do nothing else but sleep for a full day, they crawled into Tomato’s bed and cuddled under the blankets.

Neither of them answered their phones till they were both well rested and willing to take on the day together.


	4. Breaking a sweat and breaking in each room

The two of them spent two weeks getting their place set up before they even thought about inviting everyone to a housewarming party. Even at Bed’s insistency that he deserved the very first house tour out of all their friends, they both took their time getting everything neat and tidy. The two of them liked the privacy they had in their new home and the quiet that came along with it. Tomato didn’t have to worry about other family members walking around in the house and Criken didn’t have to run out a block to go pick up his food anymore. 

They were still getting used to new features of their home. Like the fact that Tomato could walk around in any state of undress and not have to worry about being caught wandering the halls in the middle of the night looking for beans. Criken also liked the area they had moved into. He had always wanted to have an open space to sit in that still provided privacy from neighbours and the high bushes provided that for him. Criken excitedly dragged a less than enthused Tomato to Ikea and Home Depot to pick out various furnishings and decor for the backyard, even picking out a few lawn gnomes much to his frustration. The two bickered over the necessity of a lawn flamingo (which Criken had won with a pout) and with a bit of time and effort, turned the small backyard into a quaint sitting area.

Tomato was in charge of getting their internet provider to come in and set up everything while Criken painted the walls of their home. Once they had access to the internet and had a stable connection, they streamed in discord to their group of friends and showed off what they had accomplished so far. The compliments and jokes they passed back and forth reminded them that they hadn’t streamed in a while and they would have to get back on the grind soon. As much as Strippin insisted in a fatherly tone that they get their place set up to how they like it before they do any sort of streaming, they couldn’t ignore the fact that their numbers were starting to dwindle in their absence. They were only able to afford this place because they had saved and pooled their funds together.

It was a full month since they had received their keys and they finished painting all the walls and put together all the furniture they needed for all the rooms. Shelves had been assembled and pictures and posters were back up on the walls. Already the house felt more homely and like it was an actual living space and not just full of boxes of assorted sizes. Tomato had claimed one of the rooms and after a lot of struggling with wires and electrical devices, he finally managed to turn it into his office with a vr space for their cooperative streams. While the room was mostly set to be primarily used by Tomato, there were small additions made by Criken that he had insisted on adding despite his boyfriends complaints about the fung shui of the room as he added extra shelves over the desk. In the end, he ceased his complaints with an embarrassed flush as he had placed every little memento that Criken had ever gotten for him up on that shelf so he could always see it when streaming. He endured the teasing he got from his boyfriend from his sentimental gesture.

While Tomato got the extra room, Criken took the master bedroom so he could have more space for his own computer setup. The office and bedroom were on either side of the living room so they had plenty of space between the two of them to yell without affecting each other's mic. Criken wanted to put foam in the walls to soundproof his room but was dissuaded when Tomato told him that it didn’t work… So he ordered two dozen blocks just to annoy him anyways. He got them in a range of different colours and intended on just keeping them for a little while to annoy his boyfriend but his plan backfired when he came home to find that Tomato had glued them to his bedroom wall in an array that spelled out ‘c u n t’ behind his computer setup. 

“Nice.” Was all he could say when he took it all in and the sight of Tomato’s satisfied grin. He followed his eyes and realized what he had done when he stared at the foam letters for a longer period of time. He had assorted them so they were the different colours that represented the bisexual flag. Criken couldn’t contain his giggles at that and took a picture to share with all his friends. “Double nice.” 

It was the little things that made living together a dream. Although, embarrassingly enough once they got all the furniture in place Tomato explained a few superstitions that he had and insisted upon upholding before they allowed anyone into their home. One of them being sex in every room of their place. The bedrooms had already been broken in and Criken refused to admit that he had enjoyed the idea of screwing around in the kitchen a little too much. He was happy that they had good curtains set up when Tomato pounced him in the living room one evening and he almost kicked a hole in the drywall as they started to really get into the idea of sleeping in every room of the house and turned it into a little game.

The bathroom was broken in next and it was Criken who got the jump on Tomato this time. He waited till the shower was turned on before quietly unlocking the door from the outside with a butter knife. Once he was inside, he slipped into the tub behind him and startled him by wrapping his arms around his waist. “Surprise!” He ended up getting elbowed in the face from scaring him but the pain and inevitable bruise were worth it in the end when his boyfriend pinned him to the tiles and went down on him under the warm spray of water.

Things took a turn for the worst however, when they started to run out of rooms. While Criken had been fine with it at first, he questioned his boyfriends sanity when they were contemplating on how to do it in a small linen closet. He had been pulled into the open door till he was hunched forward under two layers of shelves currently housing all their towels and extra blankets.

“No way, this isn’t going to happen.” Criken complained, banging his head off the shelf one more time. He reached up to touch the tender mark on the back of his skull, just knowing that a bump was going to form. His glare was met with one of equal frustration and the two, being as stubborn as mules, refused to budge. Criken crossed his arms over his chest and furrowed his brows down at Tomato. “I can’t fit and you sure as hell can’t fit.”

Tomato reached forward and pulled his boyfriend further down on top of him, their mouths meeting in a rough kiss that had both of them growling and pulling at each others clothes in desperation. They only parted to breath and glare at each other again. He whined and rolled his hips up, brows creased and eyes glazed in arousal. His voice lowered to a deep husky growl that resounded deep in his chest. “I swear to god Criken, if you don’t come get here and fuck me..”

“Or what?” Criken demanded back, his glare already lightening up at the playful banter. It was hard to keep up the facade of anger when Tomato looked so tempting underneath him. He dipped his head down and pressed his face into the crook of his neck, the warmth was pleasant and he could feel the thrum of his pulse against his lips. “What are you doing to do to me? Hmm? You gonna punish me or something…”

The flare of Tomato’s nostrils was the only warning he got before they were flipped in a messy flail of limbs. Arms extended to try and get a handhold to cease their descent but it was already too late. Criken lost track of what was up and down in the darkness and he was thrown backwards onto the shelf hard enough that it broke under his weight. Criken landed on the ground in a messy pile of towels and linen trying to catch his breath as he assessed his surroundings. It took a few seconds to account for where his limbs were and he moved them, surprised that he had come out of the fall relatively uninjured. It was just his pride that was a little bruised. 

He looked up to see the worry in Tomato’s eyes but he kissed it away, already knowing that if he let his boyfriends thoughts run any longer then he’d overthink things and back out before they continued and Criken was already committed now. They broke a shelf so to him, they were already at the point of no return. He rolled his eyes and smiled up at Tomato. His fingers traced along his chin and easily guided him into another kiss. The kiss was chaste at first but as hands started to wander again, it became more desperate.

It took a lot of stretching and awkward elbowing but they finally figured out the mechanics once Tomato managed to get the bulk of his height bent over Criken’s form. Clothes were thrown all over the place and littered the floor. It was a mess of limbs barely able to fit in the confined space as they moved against each other in desperate thrusts. Tomato ended up conducting most of the movements, having found a somewhat comfortable position on Criken’s lap to straddle. He started slow at first, trying to figure out his balance in the small confined space before his hips were taken ahold of and he was eased into measured thrusts. His head pressed forward against the cool wall of the closet and his hands clawed overhead until he found the ceiling. Tomato pushed against it and their bodies met in more desperate motions. The pace picked up and became uneven as their desire to reach the end outweigh the soreness they would inevitably feel by the end.

It didn’t take too long before Tomato gave up trying to keep his weight up and he allowed Criken to take ahold of him, guiding him with warm palms. His head lulled forward, eyes half lidded and breath coming out in heavy pants. He whined and felt those hands tighten on his hips. They would end up leaving bruises but neither of them cared at this point, too determined to reach their climax. “Fuck Crik- I can’t..” Tomato choked out, face flushed red. The closet was getting stuffy and sweat now slicked over their bodies. He stroked a palm over Criken’s chest and followed over the curve and dip of his throat to rest his hand against his cheek.

“Baby, you look s-so beautiful~ God, you’re gorgeous.” Criken barely managed to get out between his breathless moans, a full shudder going down his spine as he spoke. He was smiling that dopey little smile of his. The one that he reserved for his boyfriend when they were alone. His head leaned into Tomato’s warm touch. He turned his head to press a kiss to Tomato’s fingers and he grinned as that hand covered his mouth fully to smother his embarrassing words.

Tomato was as red as his hair at this point and he glared weakly down at him. “Oh shut... up..” That seething stare of his was diminished by the way his body reacted to Criken’s words. He was so hard and aching, his lower lip trapped between his teeth. He threw his head back as those clever hands found his weeping cock and gave him several leisurely strokes. That was enough to have his screaming out and coming across the both of them in messy streaks.

They barely had a second to enjoy the afterglow because the stress on their muscles immediately set in and Criken had to help ease his boyfriend off his lap. The both of them moaned and groaned as they got back up, attempting to stretch back out to their full heights once more and finding that they couldn’t. Tomato remained hunched over for several moments, frustration stewing in his expression at the prospect of not being able to walk properly. Criken on the other hand was able to stand but the rest of him was feeling sore from the initial fall. He turned his head and winced in pain. Their eyes met and both suffered silently, neither one willing to admit defeat to the other. 

It was a decision that they both ended up regretting. Even if they refused to admit it at first. Criken was the first to break the silence as he toed the pieces of broken wood away so he could find his underwear. “Worst decision ever. I still can’t believe we broke the shelf..” He chastised, collecting his clothes as he went. He glanced up, something drawing his attention and a feeling of satisfaction warmed his chest at the sight of the bruises on Tomato’s hips. His gaze roamed his body till they found the darkening bite on Tomato’s shoulder. 

Tomato yawned and following Criken’s eyes, he brought a hand up to trace over the mark. It was sore under his touch and he let out a huff of laughter, already used to his boyfriends obsessive tendency to leave love bites all over him. “Worth it. I hated the look of that shelf anyways. We’ll get a new one later.” He placated Criken’s hungry gaze with a kiss to the top of his head as he passed by him with a limp. A yelp escaped him at the feel of a palm striking him on the bottom as he passed by.

They both crawled back into Tomato’s bed, sore but sated and feeling a bit too giggly. His was the biggest one and was covered in so many pillows and blankets that it was more like a nest. Because of this, they usually sought out solace in his room instead of Criken’s. It was cozy and when the curtains were drawn tight, one could almost pretend that they were going into hibernation. 

Criken had learned early in their relationship that despite Tomato’s rough exterior, he actually loved to cuddle and snuggle whenever opportunities presented themselves. He would never admit it though. Not that Criken was willing to share that knowledge with anyone else. He liked being the only one to see him so soft and caring. Sometimes he’d just lay there in bed and stare down at him, taking in his features with a small smile. The way the creases in his brow were smoothed over, the usual scowl on his face replaced with a calmness that only he ever got to see. He would stroke a hand over a warm cheek and Tomato would roll over to face him in response. Those long arms would curl around him protectively and he’d happily allow himself to be pulled in closer. The warmth of Tomato’s breath tickling at his brow. Cuddling was perfect in the winter time when it was cold and Criken had stolen every blanket he could find in the household. 

The man was like a heater and even though he complained about him having cold feet when he touched him with them, he always let Criken curl into his side with a cup of tea and his phone.


	5. Take out on Christmas? More often than you think

Christmas time was coming up at a steady pace and while neither would admit it to the other, they were both having a hard time adjusting to celebrating with just the two of them. It would be the first year that Criken wouldn’t be returning home to spend time with his sister and parents and it was the first time that Tomato was away from his family. Neither had expected to spend the holidays in silence. But it was just the two of them and surprisingly it was the best Christmas either of them had ever had. 

Neither of them could cook to save their lives but they attempted to follow a recipe that they had found online. Tomato was in charge of most of the measurements because Criken’s idea of measuring was just pour until he was satisfied. But even his careful reading did very little to stop the mess that they had made of the turkey stuffing and batter. It didn’t really look edible by the time Tomato finished mixing it. The turkey was stuffed by hand and both had a giggle at the absurdity of the whole situation, especially as Criken lifted it up with a hand stuck up its rear end and puppeteered it while giving it a horrible voice. 

Tomato had been preparing the vegetables in a pot when he turned around to see the abominable display being put on behind his back. “Oh my god. Criken!” As much as he tried to chastise his boyfriend for anally violating their turkey, he couldn’t help but cackle as Criken got caught on the orifice. He had told his boyfriend to remove his watch and had forgotten to do so before he started to stuff the turkey. His expression turned to one of utter bewilderment as Criken launched the bird across the kitchen as he tried to pry it off his hand. 

“Catch it! Catch it!” Criken yelled out as it flew off his hand and it ricocheted off the dining room table and skidded across the floor. It spun on the hardwood floor for several more seconds before coming to a stop in the dining room. Criken walked into the room, followed closely by Tomato who both looked down at the ruined turkey with mixed expressions on their faces.

Tomato turned up his nose and shook his head, hands raised in a surrendering gesture. “There is no way I’m eating that now.” He walked back into the kitchen with a long exhale and washed his hands before digging in his pocket for his phone. His boyfriend followed close behind with their ruined creation in his hands.

“But Tomato, we can still save it! We can still save Christmas.” Criken looked around desperately, trying to find a way to fix what he had thought he ruined. His eyes were wide and watery and his lower lip trembled in guilt. He looked absolutely crestfallen at the thought of him being the cause of their horrible dinner. “I’m sorry.. I didn’t mean- I messed everything up. God, I messed it all up.”

Tomato walked across the kitchen and pulled him close, a hand resting on his hip. He reeled him in till they were chest to chest and Criken’s chin was nuzzled into his chest. “Hey, you didn’t ruin anything. You know this kind of shit happens to us on the regular. We’re just unlucky like that.” Once Criken looked up at him, he smiled and stroked his thumb under his damp eye. 

“Remember Disneyland?” At Criken’s nod, he continued. A hand threaded through dark locks of hair, gently trailing through them in a soothing gesture. His tone was low and soft as he spoke. “We planned for everything. The time it would take to get there, the number of people we brought, the line ups. We planned for everything…”

Criken slowly smiled in recollection, his head tilted back slightly so he could look up at Tomato from his safe position in his arms. “Everything but the weather.”

“Everything but the weather.” Tomato repeated as if to cement the statement further. He smiled at Criken’s expression, already feeling the stress fall from his shoulders like a heavy weight being dropped. The tenseness in his shoulders loosening up as he spoke. He nuzzled Criken’s throat and pressed a kiss there. The exhale he received was worth it and he pressed several more kisses there to enunciate his point. “It sucked and we got soaked through and through but we found a way to enjoy ourselves.”

“You caught a cold afterwards.” Criken giggled at the ticklish feeling, head tilted away from Tomato’s kisses as best as he could. He squirmed in his grip but couldn’t stop the heat that was creeping over his face. “I had to take care of you till you got better.”

Tomato grinned. “And you fed me and cuddled with me and watched movies the whole time. Overall, it was the best week ever.” He led the two of them over to the counter and he picked up his long forgotten phone. With one hand, he thumbed through the apps and returned to what he had been doing earlier. A few taps and he showed off his phone to Criken who glanced at it with the curiosity of a nosy puppy. The screen displayed an order he played for two dinners from a local family owned restaurant. “From the looks of things, it’s probably best if we just leave the cooking in the hands of the professionals and order in.” 

Criken was about to argue with him about the ruined turkey but felt a pair of lips on his. His eyes went wide for a moment before they fluttered shut and he leaned into it. He dropped the turkey and without a second thought, wound his arms around Tomato’s shoulders. They kissed in the kitchen, under the warmth of the light and surrounded by the sounds of the radio playing. It was a peaceful evening.

It was their first Christmas and while it wasn’t the best one ever, it was far from the worst they ever had. They had time to learn and figure things out for the future ones.


	6. The future we built for ourself

Criken had been building up contacts and friendships for several years since he started making videos. Since he started with youtube and working with Makers Studio, a company that had preyed on the fact that he was young and didn’t know how to finance properly. He had met several people in his time and slowly after much trial and error, he learned how to network on his own. The people he met taught him so much and he was introduced to the bulk of his friends that would support him as he got older.

He eventually became freed of his contract and had started streaming after being introduced to the concept by a friend. Criken had started shakily but had learned from experience and loved it, through all its ups and downs. He found himself enjoying that aspect much more than Youtube. He could pick and choose whenever he wanted to stream and the freedom of not being in a contract was relieving. Over the years, he made several friends and was surprised when a few people from back in the day got in touch with him.

When Criken, Bed and Tomato originally formed Sideshow they had expected to slowly grow and develop a narrative around their small group. They had plans that were small but they were driven to make something of themselves. And then, hours before airing their first podcast, they received an email from Rooster Teeth. It shattered the plans they had worked so hard on. The brand they had built, the name, the meaning… It had all gone down the drain.

It had been a dark time for them and they tried so hard to swallow their pride and move on. Bed took it like everything else in his life and it went off his back easily like water. Tomato had been initially upset and allowed his feelings to shine through whenever Sideshow was brought up by his stream chat. But even he eventually dropped it and moved on. But Criken, he never let it go. It ate at him sometimes, leaving him feeling tired and drained. He worked so hard to build something that could be used to jumpstart their own community forward. He had wanted to make it into something that could ensure that they would be able to continue what they did and loved without having to worry about money. 

While everyone else was content to move on, Criken pushed on. He had spoken to sponsors and tried to correspond by email and phone calls, trying to figure out what went wrong and what he could change. But there was nothing he could do. He was only one person. One person against a world that seemed to have built so many walls that him and his friends were having a hard time breaking down. From copyright strikes to terms of service. It was just one thing after another and Criken felt like he had failed everyone. He’d sit in his bedroom staring at the computer monitor at the words that seemed to mock him. Another email that left him with more questions than answers. Another corner he had backed himself into. Another failure.

Criken hadn’t even realized that Tomato had come into his room till he felt those arms wrap around him from behind. He jolted and made a weak noise, already hearing the strain in his tone. His hand reached over to quickly shut off the monitor, to hide his shame from Tomato but it was already too late. He was pulled back and his chair wheeled out of reach of his desk. His hand remained hovering for a few seconds longer before falling to his lap.

“It’s fine.” Tomato whispered against his shoulder. He pressed his face into the warm crook of his neck and closed his eyes. The tension in Criken’s body lessened as he spoke. “I know that it’s eating you up inside but it’s fine.”

Criken shook his head and stared at his hands angrily, the tears threatening to spill as he glanced down. He clenched his fists on his lap and shook his head again, more aggressively this time. “No, it’s not. We had something. It might not have been much or anything big but it was ours. It was ours and it was taken away from us just like-” He hiccuped and had to take a deep breath. His shoulders trembled as he quietly sobbed and Tomato rotated the chair so they would face each other.

“Yeah, it sucks. Seems like everytime we get close, someone or something comes along and sweeps the carpet out from under us. We tell everyone that we are okay and everything will be fine but you can only take so much rejection before it starts eating away at you.” Tomato gave him a determined look, reaching forward to cup his cheeks with both hands. He lifted Criken’s head and forced their eyes to meet. “Some of us carry that burden more than others.”

“I failed us..” Criken choked out after a long stretch of silence. He looked up at his boyfriend with a pained expression, tears in his eyes. “I failed us.. I failed-”

Tomato shook his head and pulled him close, shushing him the more he murmured on. He refused to heed to Criken’s negative mantra and rested a hand at the back of his neck, fingers threading through his hair and he tugged him into a tight embrace. “Don’t. You didn’t fail anyone. It’s the world that’s fucking rotten, not you.”

“What are we going to do?” Criken looked up, his eyes red rimmed and glossy from crying. He sniffled but stared at Tomato with pure adoration and commitment in his gaze. “What can we do?”

Tomato smiled and stared straight ahead for a long time. He had a contemplative expression on his face and let out a little hum as if thinking on the question. After a heartbeat he chuckled deep and amused as a thought came to mind. He looked down to see Criken’s brow quirked inquisitively in his direction and pressed a kiss to his forehead. “We can do whatever we want. What do you want to do?”

Criken just stared at him flabbergasted as if not expected that response. His mouth opened and closed several times but no sound came out. For the first time, he looked taken aback and unarmed with any sort of quip to throw back. Slowly the realization hit him and his eyes brightened as he understood what Tomato was saying. He smiled and could keep himself from leaning back into his boyfriend's arms again as he thought more on his words. “Anything?”

“Fucking anything.” Tomato responded absolutely, his grin wide and determined. 

The man could have said that he’d be marching headfirst into hell and Criken would follow him without a doubt. He had a look in his eyes that dared the world to get in his way and Criken was reminded yet again why he was so lucky to be dating someone like him. His partner in crime, his better half. Whenever he felt down and unable to push back against the thoughts in his head, Tomato was there to fight them away and remind him that he was worth it. Criken was thankful every day to have someone who supported him so strongly. He could only hope that he could prove himself worthy of such affection.

After that, Criken stopped responding to those emails that left him feeling more pain than taking a sword to the chest. He stopped allowing himself to fall into that state of mind and refused to be dragged down by the negatives of the past. With Tomato’s help, he pushed forward and slogged through weeks of crappy moods and depressive episodes before he felt a stroke of an idea hit him out of the blue. It came to him in the form of an email from an old acquaintance.

For years now, he had been building up his list of contacts and associates. From editors to developers that were looking to make contact with people interested in working together. From the occasional game being sent his way for sponsored streams to a few developers that were looking for creative input. Criken had rarely turned down an opportunity that presented itself. He tended to build bridges instead of burning them.

It was one of the reasons why he was drawn in by that email he received one warm monday. He read it over breakfast and had contemplated it all day, the words engraved in his mind as he did house chores and prepared for his evening stream. He sat down at his computer and opened it one last time, his hands already typing out the response he had been so carefully crafting in his head all day. Before he sent it, he allowed Tomato to read it and gleefully took in his expression as it shifted from curiosity to disbelief within a matter of seconds. His chest puffed out in pride as Tomato asked him if what he was reading was real.

“Well, you did say that I could do anything.” Criken responded with a grin and hit send before he the bubbling anxiety could prevent him from doing so. The friend was someone who was interested in making a video game and had inquired if he wanted to take part in the project. It sounded good and looked even better. If things worked out, this could open a lot of doors that he had previously thought would remain closed for him.

Criken was taken aback when he was so strongly supported as he broached the game development industry. He had been studying it when he was in school and had even been talking to sponsors at one point before his self confidence took a plummet during the failings of Sideshow. Audience participation and interactivity were things he was mostly focused on and he found several like minded developers that agreed with his sentiment that games are not just games. When done right they could become experiences that left audiences and players wowed and looking forward to more. Criken wanted to make something that wasn’t just pretty to look at but had something that kept their attention. Narrative was always an important detail to him.  It took a bit of time and a lot of work since he was stepping, for the first time, fully into the game development industry. He had always toed the line in interest but had never fully gone over the threshold. This time, with his boyfriend at his side and several friends supporting his endeavor, he went forth and created the company under a name that would send waves of defiance out to the people that thought he had given up. 

Sideshow Games.


	7. Just like in the movies

“We should make a porno.” Criken brought it up randomly as the two of them were laid in Tomato’s bed, scrolling on their phones. He had been replying to an email sent by a sponsor that was interested in him beta testing a game. The two of them had been corresponding for a few days and he was trying to get multiple codes so he can get several of his friends in on the action. The statement he made came out of nowhere and cut through the silence. It hung in the air for several long seconds as his boyfriend seemed to realize that he wasn’t joking.

Tomato let out a single huff of a laugh and lifted his eyes from his own phone. His thumbs ceased their motions of typing and his brow rose at him. The laughter died on his lips at the expression on his boyfriend's face. He could see Criken staring at him with a determined look in his eyes, like it was something he had been wanting to ask for a long time but had only just gotten up the courage to do so. “Oh my god you’re serious.” 

“I’ve always wanted one of those cheesy videos. You know the ones I’m talking about.” Criken setting his phone down and raised his hands in front of him like a film director with a vision. He made a box in front of his face with his thumb and forefingers, pantomiming that he was looking through it. “The kind with all the different camera angles and the professional editing.”

“I don’t know. Aren’t pornos usually chock full of terrible music.” Tomato crossed his arms over his chest and shook his head, already feeling averse to the idea. He had seen his fair share of porns and hadn’t developed a taste for the type of styles they were filmed in. Always with the shaky camera work and the horrible close ups. “Are you sure this is what you want?”

Criken nodded, more shy this time. He didn’t look as confident as he did several moments ago and glanced over at Tomato. He was getting better at reading his moods and was already prepared to take back his suggestion. They hadn’t done anything like that in bed before. The occasional toy and costume, yes. But nothing like this. “I mean, if you’re not comfortable with the idea, I can understand. I don’t want you to think-”

“Now hang on there.” Tomato interrupted, his tone deepening and accent becoming a texan drawl. He tilted his head and grinned at the man curled up into his side. Criken giggled as he pulled him closer and planted a kiss on his brow. “I reckon you're misinterpreting what I’m saying here. I’m not opposed to the idea. I’m just saying.. If we’re going to do this, we should do this right.”

Criken rose a brow at him. He looked intrigued at the suggestion and sat up, resting his weight on his elbows. “Oh, what do you mean? I’m assuming you have an idea of what to do.”

“Well, I’m no expert by any means...” Tomato trailed off with a nervous cough. His eyes darted back and forth and his face turned pink in embarrassment. His hand rose up to rub at the back of his neck in an anxious gesture. He looked almost too shy to continue but after taking a moment to collect himself, he pressed on with a casual wave of his hand. “But I think I know a way that we can make this work.”

Tomato retrieved his phone and the two of them set to work for the rest of the night, eyeing the different hotels in the area. They could have filmed at their house but after a bit of a discussion they decided that if they were going to do this, they were going to make the most of it and do it in a fancy setting. Besides, it had been awhile since they had treated themselves. They deserved to splurge a little.

“Something with good lighting and nice beds.” Criken pointed out as they scanned through hotels on Tomato’s phone. The amused glint had returned to his eyes as the two of them dove headfirst into what would be a huge undertaking. They didn’t even have proper filming equipment and yet, they were already looking at different rooms. “Oh, I like that one. It has a great view.. Not that we’ll actually see it but look, it also has a hot tub in the room.”

Tomato stopped scrolling and clicked on the hotel, zooming in several pictures. He popped one up and sure enough, one of them showed a beautiful white tub big enough for two. The bathroom was spacious and was a luxury that neither had ever indulged in. Even if they didn’t use the tub during filming, it would be nice to take a dip in and relax. The two of them looked at it before staring at each other. There was a long moment of silence between the two of them that was mutual. Nothing needed to be said. They had been looking for several hours now, their picky nature kicking in whenever they found on that wasn’t perfect. But this one had to be it.

The walls were the right cream colouring for any lighting they decided the set up and Criken would finally get his dream of swimming in a pile of pillows and blankets after sex. Something that Tomato couldn’t find it in himself to argue about because he wanted the same thing. He was an avid cuddler, though he’d never admit it out loud. Criken would have to pull teeth to get him to admit that he enjoys curling around him in the wintertime and spoon him whenever they were on the couch watching movies.

If there was one thing he had to admit though. It was the fact that his boyfriend had a good eye for films. It must come hand in hand with all the drama and theater he took when he was still in school. He had a knack for setting up scenes and knew how to get the timing just right for comedic effect. Whether it was during a stream or when they were out and messing around while shopping, Criken knew just how to set the mood and scene. 

So when his boyfriend said that the hotel they were looking at was perfect, he couldn’t argue with his logic. Besides, this whole thing was basically his idea and dream. Not that Tomato was against it, far from it. A part of him liked the idea of being on camera and having a little memento to watch later on. He liked it. Maybe a little too much if time spent alone in the bathroom was any indication. But this was Criken’s idea and he was going to let him take the helm. It’s obvious he already had most of the technical details ironed out anyways.

Both come to an agreement that this was the one and started planning the perfect time and date to sneak off and film. They couldn’t do it next week. Criken’s parents were coming for a visit and he doubted that he would be able to focus on anything but making sure he didn’t look like an ass in front of them. No matter how many times Criken convinced him that he was fine, he couldn’t help but panic and second guess himself. He had met them several times in the past but each time did little to relieve his fear that he just wasn’t good enough for him.

“Hey, you okay? You look a little pale.” Criken wave a hand in front of Tomato’s face and drew his attention back to him. He looked worried, like he was scared of saying something that would startle his boyfriend even more. “I- Maybe this isn’t such a good idea.”

“No. Criken it’s fine.” At the look of disbelief he received, Tomato reached forward to cup Criken’s face. He took hold of him and stroked along his cheeks with his thumbs. Their foreheads pressed together warmly and he smiled. “I was just worrying for nothing. I really do want to do this… But-”

“But?” 

Tomato flushed pink and tried to divert his gaze but was unsuccessful as Criken grabbed his face as well and forced them to part so he could see his expression. “But… You’ll have to walk me through this whole porno thing because I have no idea how you want me to.. y’know… act and stuff.”

“Just be yourself.” Criken followed up his words with a kiss to his nose. “I wouldn’t have started dating you if I didn’t like you the way you are.”

Those words really did it and Tomato exhaled a breathless ‘God I love you’ as he pulled Criken onto his lap. His hands already started to wander as he sought out each button on the front of his shirt. To say the sex that night was great was an understatement. It was almost pornographic, the things they did to each other. 

**Author's Note:**

> I have ten parts stored away. They'll be going up in the next few days.


End file.
